Jobs/Opportunities

The Dance City Team 

The Board of Trustees

Chair of the Board

There is now an exciting opportunity for an inspirational new Chair of the Board to lead Dance City into the next stage of its development. Dance City is a Charity and its main objective is that of promoting, maintaining, improving and educating by the encouragement of the arts. As a Board we have had the privilege and pleasure of working collectively for a number of years to support this unique and dynamic organisation.

We are looking for an experienced Chair, and by that we mean someone who has served on another Board or at a senior management level. The ideal candidate will have experience of leading a team and will take both a creative and pragmatic approach to problem solving and be a strategic thinker. An understanding of charity governance is essential as is a personal passion for the arts.

The Chair leads the board in the governance of Dance City and is responsible for overseeing our strategy, culture, people, values and processes alongside being a public-facing advocate for the charity.

Responsibilities include:

• Providing leadership and direction to the Board and the wider charity’s activities
• Ensuring the successful delivery of our strategy and its associated aims and objectives, as well as meeting the commitments of our Arts Council funding
• Ensure the charity is carrying out its purposes in relation to public benefit
• Chairing effective Board Meetings, overseeing associated sub-committees and development activities for the Board
• Liaising with the Senior Leadership Team in relation to agenda setting and focussed discussions, ensuring that charity matters are covered efficiently and effectively
• Approve artistic and creative plans, ensuring these are realistic and achievable
• Comply with the charity’s governing document and the law
• Fully understand the legal duties and responsibilities of the Chair / board members and be committed to good governance
• Manage the charity’s resources responsibly, setting strategy in accordance with the governing document, legal and regulatory guidelines, the Company’s business plan and monitor outcomes
• Provide support, advice, expertise and constructive challenge to the Senior Leadership Team
• Ensure the charity is accountable, operates in accordance with company law and is compliant with Charity Commission requirements
• Monitor the financial viability of the charity, ensuring prudent financial management and that the company’s assets are safeguarded and well managed, overseeing budgets, management accounts and annual financial statements
• Actively support the charity in achieving its fundraising targets
• Define the charity’s employment policies
• Make decisions relating to hiring of Directors
• Agree job descriptions for Senior Leadership Team and regularly review levels of pay
• Review and authorise all Dance City policies
• Act at all times in the charity’s best interests and with reasonable care and skill

Personal Attributes:

• Developed non-executive experience, with a track record of leading and / or developing effective governance
• An understanding and / or experience, of the complexity inherent in running publicly funded organisations with multiple stakeholders would be advantageous
• Knowledgeable and experienced in a leadership role within their area of specialism
• Enthusiastic about the arts with a strong commitment to the charity’s values and approach
• A clear communicator, able to articulate position, beliefs and rationale in an inclusive way
• Able to operate with integrity and respect confidentiality when required
• Well respected in their field of work with contacts that can be of assistance to the charity
• A strategic thinker, able to navigate and understand multiple stakeholder relationships
• Politically astute, with the ability to grasp relevant issues and understand relationships between interested parties, is desirable
• Understanding and accepting of the legal duties required
• Able to commit the time needed for the position

How to apply:

Dance City actively encourages applications from those with less visibility in the arts. We actively encourage applications from who self-identify as black, Asian, ethnically diverse, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, disabled. We also welcome applications from people under 30 years of age.

Candidates should apply by sending a cv and cover letter to our retained consultancy Castle Peak Group: james.carss@castlepeak-group.com

The closing date for the application is Monday 17th March and interviews will be held on the week of 24th March.